Local leader honoured for community work

• Kelowna woman wins provincial award
• Spearheading the Peace of the Circle Program
• Making a difference in youth and families

A local woman is one of the people being recognized in the 24th annual Community Safety and Crime Prevention Awards. They were held virtually to honour leaders in communities throughout British Columbia for their work in community, safety, and crime prevention.

Kelowna’s Meghan Ramsay took home the Restorative Justice Memorial Award, which recognizes commitment and innovative partnerships.

“Receiving this award means a lot to me,” Ramsay said in her video speech. “It means all the hard work, time and energy put into this project had an impact and had a meaningful impact to be recognized.”

Ramsay works with the Boys and Girls Club of the Okanagan serving as the program coordinator of the Youth Restorative Justice Program. It provides partnerships to educate and spread awareness about restorative justice principles.

She said what keeps her going is seeing the impact of the Peace of the Circle Program and what it has meant for youth and families. She enjoys participating with families and helping them overcome communication challenges and power struggles.

“By providing a safe space focusing on mental, physical and spiritual aspects, a family can feel safe enough to digress, grow and learn from past moments,” Ramsay said.

Sarah MacKinnon, Director of Youth Services for the Boys and Girls Club Okanagan, said she’s very proud of Meghan and commended her efforts to making a difference in the program.

“Meghan brings her commitment and dedication every day,” MacKinnon said. “But she has also brought her passion and her innovation and her creativity to significantly grow our program this year.”

Ramsay gave credit to the people she works with.

“It showed the value of what having a committed, accountable, kind, and caring team of people around you can really do,” she said. “I want to honour that. Without any of the volunteers in the program or my managers supporting me, I would’ve never been here today. It’s a great recognition of what community can do.”